Method of and apparatus for utilizing SMS while running an application on a mobile device controlling a viewer&#39;s participation with a broadcast

ABSTRACT

An improved method of and system for participating in SMS-TV contests enables a user to utilize one or more applications to perform desired operations such as using the user interface to efficiently make selections to respond to a question in a contest, downloading SMS short codes, promoting contests within the application, storing a history of SMS-TV programs, enabling an alternate phone number to be submitted, utilizing user identification tags, disconnecting the application to receive an incoming call, verification, contacting a server to send an SMS message on the device&#39;s behalf and other operations. Some of the aforementioned operations are performed by the user specifically while others are automatically performed by a server to provide the user with the best service possible.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This Patent Application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/274,706, filed on May 10, 2014, entitled AMETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SMS WHILE RUNNING AN APPLICATIONON A MOBILE DEVICE CONTROLLING A VIEWER'S PARTICIPATION WITH ABROADCAST, which is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/288,768, filed on Oct. 22, 2008, entitled A METHOD OF ANDAPPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SMS WHILE RUNNING AN APPLICATION ON A MOBILEDEVICE CONTROLLING A VIEWER'S PARTICIPATION WITH A BROADCAST whichclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of the co-owned U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/000,179, filed Oct. 23, 2007, and entitled “AMETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SMS WHILE RUNNING AN APPLICATIONON A MOBILE DEVICE CONTROLLING A VIEWER'S PARTICIPATION WITH ABROADCAST” which are also all hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of distributed gaming. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to the field of distributedgaming utilizing a mobile device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

“Play along TV” describes the act of television viewers playing alongwith TV shows or interacting with TV shows. Examples of play along TVprograms include predicting outcomes of live events, such as predictingthe plays watching an NFL telecast, voting for a favorite performanceand answering trivia questions about a particular television program.Participation TV programs are able to be run on many types of devices,including cable/satellite set top boxes (via on-screen overlays andusing a remote control to make selections), telephones (via calling aspecified phone number), computers (via software programs or Webbrowser-based applications) and SMS, a mobile phone messaging protocolthat stands for Short Messaging Service. SMS is a messaging standardintegrated into most mobile/cell phones that limits messages to 160characters. SMS-TV refers to play along TV programs that utilize SMS asa means of submitting entries and/or responses. For example, whilewatching a telecast of Deal or No Deal, viewers might have theopportunity to participate in The Lucky Case Game. Viewers are asked toaccurately guess in which suitcase (numbered one through six) a cashprize is located. Viewers choosing to participate, send an SMS with thenumber of their case selection to an address, which is an SMS shortcode, displayed on the TV screen. The contest provider receives the SMSmessage with the text entered by the participant, along with theparticipant's mobile phone number, which is automatically included aspart of the SMS protocol. If the viewer accurately predicts the correctcase, they are entered into a random drawing to win a cash prize. Oncethe list of potential winners is generated, they are contacted viatelephone in order to verify their eligibility. Other examples of playalong TV programs include:

-   -   Voting for a favorite contestant on a television show like        American Idol or a pair of dancers on Dancing with the Stars;    -   Answering multiple choice questions, which could include trivia,        recall questions, or predictions about upcoming events that will        take place during the program;    -   Responding to an opinion poll related to the telecast;    -   Predicting the outcome of an at bat in a baseball game or the        play that will be called in football; or    -   Solving the mystery on a crime based TV program.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improved method of and system for participating in SMS-TV contestsenables a user to utilize one or more applications to perform desiredoperations such as using the user interface to efficiently makeselections to respond to a question in a contest, downloading SMS shortcodes, promoting contests within the application, storing a history ofSMS-TV programs, enabling an alternate phone number to be submitted,utilizing user identification tags, disconnecting the application toreceive an incoming call, verification, contacting a server to send anSMS message on the device's behalf and other operations. Some of theaforementioned operations are performed by the user specifically whileothers are automatically performed by a server to provide the user withthe best service possible.

In one aspect, a method implemented on a computing device of providingan improved user experience when participating in a Short MessagingService television (SMS-TV) contest comprises implementing anapplication containing a user interface, promoting the SMS-TV contestthrough the user interface and notifying a winner of the contest. Theuser interface includes at least one of a list or a set of icons. A usersubmits a response by highlighting and selecting a choice from the listor the set of icons. The method further comprises storing a history ofSMS-TV programs wherein the history of SMS TV programs enables a user toreview missed programs. Notifying the winner includes contacting analternate phone number. The alternate phone number is embedded in an SMSmessage. The method further comprises disconnecting a data connection ofthe application to allow incoming calls. Disconnecting a data connectioncomprises determining which applications to disconnect, sending amessage to the applications to terminate the data connection andproviding an explanation to users of the disconnected applications.Determining which applications to disconnect comprises disconnectingapplications of the users who made a correct selection. Determiningwhich applications to disconnect comprises disconnecting applications ofthe users who are potential winners. The method further comprisesverifying qualifications of the winner through the application.Verifying qualifications occurs before the contest begins. The methodfurther comprises sending an SMS message on behalf of a user utilizingthe application and a server. The SMS message is tagged with a uniqueidentifier indicating that the SMS message did not come directly from auser's device. The computing device is selected from the groupconsisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computerworkstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, apersonal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smartappliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, acamera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, atelevision and a home entertainment system.

In another aspect, a system implemented on a computing device forproviding an improved user experience when participating in a ShortMessaging Service television (SMS-TV) contest comprises a server and adevice coupled to the server, the device containing an applicationconfigured for implementing a user interface, promoting the SMS-TVcontest through the user interface and notifying a winner of thecontest. The user interface includes at least one of a list or a set oficons. A user submits a response by highlighting and selecting a choicefrom the list or the set of icons. The application is further configuredfor storing a history of SMS-TV programs wherein the history of SMS TVprograms enables a user to review missed programs. Notifying the winnerincludes contacting an alternate phone number. The alternate phonenumber is embedded in an SMS message. The application is furtherconfigured for disconnecting a data connection of the application toallow incoming calls. Disconnecting a data connection comprisesdetermining which applications to disconnect, sending a message to theapplications to terminate the data connection and providing anexplanation to users of the disconnected applications. Determining whichapplications to disconnect comprises disconnecting applications of theusers who made a correct selection. Determining which applications todisconnect comprises disconnecting applications of the users who arepotential winners. The application is further configured for verifyingqualifications of the winner. Verifying qualifications occurs before thecontest begins. The application is further configured for sending an SMSmessage on behalf of a user utilizing a server. The SMS message istagged with a unique identifier indicating that the SMS message did notcome directly from a user's device. The computing device is selectedfrom the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, acomputer workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheldcomputer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, asmart appliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digitalcamcorder, a camera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVDwriter/player, a television and a home entertainment system.

In another aspect, a system implemented on a computing device, thesystem comprises a user experience module configured for providing auser interface, an in-application promotion module operatively coupledto the user experience module, the in-application promotion moduleconfigured for promoting a contest, a history of Short Messaging Servicetelevision (SMS-TV) programs module operatively coupled to thein-application promotion module, the history of SMS-TV programs moduleconfigured for presenting a history of television programs and a winnernotification module operatively coupled to the SMS-TV programs module,the winner notification module configured for notifying a winner. Thesystem further comprises an SMS-TV entry module operatively coupled tothe winner notification module, the SMS-TV entry module configured forcommunicating with a server to send an SMS message. The winnernotification module is further configured for disconnecting a dataconnection of the application to allow incoming calls. The winnernotification module is further configured for verifying qualificationsof the winner. The computing device is selected from the groupconsisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computerworkstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, apersonal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smartappliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, acamera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, atelevision and a home entertainment system.

In yet another aspect, a device comprises a memory for storing anapplication, the application configured for implementing a userinterface, promoting the Short Messaging Service television (SMS-TV)contest through the user interface and notifying a winner of the contestand a processing component coupled to the memory, the processingcomponent configured for processing the application. The user interfaceincludes at least one of a list or a set of icons. A user submits aresponse by highlighting and selecting a choice from the list or the setof icons. Notifying a winner includes disconnecting a data connection ofthe application to allow incoming calls. Notifying the winner includesverifying qualifications of the winner. The device is selected from thegroup consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computerworkstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, apersonal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smartappliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, acamera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, atelevision and a home entertainment system.

In another aspect, a server device comprises a memory for storing anapplication, the application configured for promoting contests through auser-side application, storing a history of Short Messaging Servicetelevision (SMS-TV) programs to be presented on a user device andnotifying a winner of a contest and a processing component coupled tothe memory, the processing component configured for processing theapplication. Notifying a winner includes contacting an alternate phonenumber supplied by the user device. Notifying a winner includesdisconnecting the user-side application so that the user device is ablereceive an incoming call. The application is further configured forverifying user credentials. The application is further configured forsending an SMS message on the user device's behalf.

In another aspect, a network of devices comprises at least one server, aplurality of mobile devices, each of the plurality of mobile devicescontaining an application configured for implementing a user interface,promoting the SMS-TV contest through the user interface and notifying awinner of the contest and a network for coupling the at least one serverand the plurality of mobile devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method of managing the entry of thedestination short code such that the user does not need to input theinformation or verify that it is correct.

FIG. 2A-C illustrate using a rich text and graphical user interfacecontained in the application to present messages to users.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a flowchart comparison of a process ofresponding to an SMS-TV program through a regular SMS application versusthrough the implementation described herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method of utilizing an alternatephone number for winner notification.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method of disconnecting a service toallow for phone verification.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method of sending SMS-TV entries onbehalf of users.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computing deviceconfigured to implement the improved method of participating in anSMS-TV contest.

FIG. 8 illustrates a graphical representation of a network of devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the past, when users were utilizing a play along TV application ontheir mobile device, they would have to exit the application to be ableto send an SMS message to participate in a contest or interactive eventthat corresponded to the television program. To avoid forcing a user toexit the application, instead, an improved implementation is describedherein, where an application enables users to send an SMS message whilethe play along TV application is still running. The details of the pastissues and the benefits of the improved implementation are described indetail below.

Responding to a participation TV campaign via SMS typically requires auser to access the messaging function on their mobile phone, enter theSMS short code, which is the destination to which they are sending theirresponse, and then enter the appropriate keyword, which is the responseor message being sent. SMS short codes are a combination of numberstypically ranging from three to six digits. Keywords are able to includeletters, numbers and words, different combinations of which representanswer choices or responses. For example, a football sports commentatormight ask at-home viewers to vote on the MVP for that particular game bysending an SMS vote to short code 54321. Rather than asking the viewersto text in the name, they are able to assign each player a differentletter as in a multiple choice question (e.g. A, B, C, or D). Theinformation is typically communicated through some combination of audioand visual cues such as a graphic that overlays the on screen action. Ifthe viewer chooses to participate, they enter the appropriate SMS shortcode and keyword. Since the on screen promotion is only visible for ashort period of time, users are often required to remember the relevantinformation. Not only must they remember the information, but also inputthe information correctly without making a mistake. In this relativelysimple example, (5-digit short code, 1 character keyword), a user willmake a minimum of ten keystrokes by the time they access the SMSfunction, input the data and send the message.

SMS-TV programs are usually promoted on-air during a televisionbroadcast. If a user is not watching TV when the program is promoted oronly sees a second portion of the promotion, they are able to not bemade aware of the program and do not have the relevant information toparticipate. Therefore, they will not know which programs are availableto them unless they are watching TV at just the right time.

Winner Notification when Participating Via a Mobile Application

SMS-TV programs are typically governed by a set of contest rules thatare designed by the program's administrator. The rules outline variousaspects of the contest such as the points/awards structure, eligibilityrestrictions and the winner notification process. For example, contestrules are able to exclude inhabitants of certain states or requirewinners be 18 years of age or older. Some contests require verificationof a winner's eligibility before the prize is officially awarded. Apotential winner is able to submit documentation providing theireligibility or speak directly with a contest administrator or by someother means. The winner notification process is typically outlined inthe contest's rules. If a potential winner is selected but later foundto be ineligible, an alternate potential winner is usually selected andthe winner verification process is repeated. The process continues untilan eligible winner is chosen. In the example of The Lucky Case Game,potential winners are selected from the pool of entries who submittedtheir entry either via SMS or the Web. Each potential winner iscontacted via telephone at the number from which their SMS message wasreceived or at the number entered on the Web entry form. If the userdoes not answer the verification call, they are skipped and the nextalternate potential winner is contacted instead.

Some mobile phones do not notify users of an incoming phone call if theyare using a mobile application that is coupled to the carrier networkvia a socket data connection. In such cases, the phone call will usuallygo directly to voice mail. Therefore, a potential winner of The LuckyCase Game is able to not have the opportunity to answer the winnerverification phone call and loses out on a chance to win a prize.

Some Phones do not Support Sending SMS Messages from Applications

Only a subset of phones support sending messages from within anapplication. This capability is enabled through a phone's operatingsystem. Furthermore, not all phones support sending SMS messages. Thisposes problems when a user is using a mobile application to interactwith, play along with, or get additional information about a TV showwith such a mobile phone and they have the opportunity to participate inan SMS-TV program. Unless the user exits the application, they will notbe able to participate.

Overcoming a Difficult User Experience

Applications such as those previously described in previous filedapplications provide flexibility and versatility in providing a richuser experience in allowing interacting with a television broadcastbroadcast in a variety of ways described in background and in theseprior filings. SMS on the other hand is virtually universal in that anycell phone is able to utilize this technology. While prior art describessending and receiving SMS while operating an application on a cellphone, the improved method and system described herein is unique indescribing how the popular SMS protocol is able to be run inside a playalong TV application.

The improved implementation therefore dramatically enhances the userexperience for using SMS with play along TV programs. Many mobile phonessupport the ability to send and receive SMS messages from within anactive mobile application. By implementing a simple, streamlined userinterface within a mobile application, the improved implementationovercomes the shortcomings of using a mobile device's standard SMScapabilities.

Eliminating the Need for a User to Recall the SMS Short Code

FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method of managing the entry of thedestination short code such that the user does not need to input theinformation or verify that it is correct. The improved implementationstores the short code information in the mobile application in such away that it is able to be changed. While some play along TV programswith an SMS component repeatedly use the same short code, others usecodes that change from time to time. The ability to update the shortcode is also important as it provides the flexibility to participate innew SMS-TV programs that are offered after the mobile application hasbeen installed on a device. The flexibility is achieved by storing theshort code as an application accessible resource, in the step 100. Theresource is able to be overwritten with an updated resource file whenthe application couples to a server. In the step 102, a user launchesthe application. Upon coupling to the server, the applicationautomatically determines if the resource file is to be updated, in thestep 104. If it is determined that the resource file is to be updated, anew file is downloaded, in the step 106; otherwise, no operation isperformed, in the step 108. The new resource file contains theappropriate short codes for the SMS-TV programs currently available.

Eliminating the Need for a User to Recall the Keywords

FIGS. 2A-C illustrate using a rich text and graphical user interfacecontained in the application to present messages to users. FIG. 2Aillustrates a flowchart of a user selecting and submitting a selectionor response. In the step 200, the user selects a response to a questionfrom a list, set of icons or another form of selection. In the step 202,the response or a keyword associated with the response is submitted inan SMS to a server for receiving responses. In some embodiments, theuser is not required to verify the response. FIG. 2B illustrates a list220 of available responses that users are able to select from. FIG. 2Cillustrates a set of icons 230 where a user is able to select an iconrepresenting one of the possible choices. For example, an SMS-TV programis able to ask users to vote for the MVP of a football game by sendingan SMS with the letter A, B, C and D, corresponding to four choicespresented during the television broadcast. The implementation allows theplayers' names to be listed such that the user is able to highlight theuser's name or press the corresponding letter to make their selection.Regardless of how they make their selection, the implementation entersthe appropriate keyword in the SMS without requiring the user to verifythat it is correct.

Reducing the Number of Keystrokes

The improved implementation is able to be integrated into applicationsthat will be used while a user is watching TV, such as a game that isplayed along with a TV show broadcast. With the application alreadyrunning, when the SMS-TV program is presented in the application, theuser is able to submit their response with one or two keystrokes ascompared to a minimum of 10 keystrokes if using the phones standard SMSmessaging application.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a flowchart comparison of a process ofresponding to an SMS-TV program through a regular SMS application versusthrough the implementation described herein. In the step 300, a userwatches television and an SMS-TV program is advertised asking the userto vote for the MVP of a football game. The on-screen advertisementlists each player with a corresponding A, B, C or D.

The regular SMS application process begins with the step 302, where auser decides whether or not to participate. If the user decides not toparticipate, then nothing occurs, in the step 320. If the userparticipates, then the user presses the appropriate button to accesstheir SMS application, in the step 304. In the step 306, the userselects “generate new SMS message.” In the step 308, the user recallsand inputs the SMS short code, or destination for the message (e.g.59595) and clicks “Next.” In the step 310, the user recalls and inputthe keyword or response (e.g. A) that will be sent in the message andclicks “Next.” In the step 312, the user selects “Send Message” and thephone sends the SMS. This process includes a total of 11 button presses.

The process using the improved implementation described herein beginswith the step 350, where a user decides whether or not to participate.If the user decides not to participate, then nothing occurs, in the step320. If the user participates, then the user is asked to pick the MVPfrom a list of options or another form of selection. Each player's nameis listed. The user is able to press a key on their phone correspondingto their selection or use the navigation pad to highlight the player andpress “OK” to make the selection, in the step 352. In the step 354, theSMS is sent by the phone in the background and without the user needingto exit the application. This process includes a total of 2 buttonpresses.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the processes areable to include slightly more or less processes, but in general, theimproved implementation described herein is implemented withsignificantly fewer button presses than when using a standard SMSapplication.

In-Application Promotion

The improved implementation is able to promote the SMS-TV program fromwithin the application, which means a user does not need to be presentwhen a program is shown on television and the relevant short code andkeyword information is communicated. This benefits the user as they areable to participate in programs even if they miss seeing the on-airpromotion. The improved implementation benefits programs by reducing thecost of promotion. On-air promotions of SMS-TV programs are often shortdue to the expense of television advertising. Through the improvedimplementation, an SMS-TV program is able to be promoted in theapplication more often than on TV or forgo on-air promotion altogetherby relying solely on promotion in the application.

Storing a History of SMS-TV Program

Similar to an email inbox, the improved implementation stores a list ofSMS-TV programs so that users are able to review programs they mighthave missed seeing on TV. One challenge of keeping a history of programsis tracking which programs are still active. Most SMS-TV programs have adeadline after which a user's entry will not be counted. The improvedimplementation tracks this information and differentiates betweenprograms that are active. When viewing the history, users are able tosort programs by active and inactive programs. Active programs arelisted in green text, whereas inactive programs are listed in red text.Programs in which a user has participated are highlighted in grey.

Overcoming the Winner Notification Issue

In the improved implementation described herein, sometimes a TV vieweris using a mobile application while watching a program. Since somemobile phones do not notify users of incoming phone calls while using amobile application, a potential winner of an SMS-TV program might not bereachable via their mobile phone in cases where the contest providerverifies eligibility. The implementation described herein is to addadditional information to the SMS being sent from the application inorder to identify users submitting responses from such applications. Theadditional information is referred to as “tags.” These tags are able tocontain specific pieces of information which, in turn, impact the winnernotification process. For example:

Alternate Phone Number

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method of utilizing an alternatephone number for winner notification. When a participant is given theoption to participate in an SMS-TV program from within the application,they are able to be required to provide an alternate phone number inaddition to whatever other information is required by the TV program, inthe step 400. The cell phone application logic inserts this alternatephone number in the SMS message that is sent to the SMS-TV programprovider, in the step 402. The program provider receives the alternatephone number, in the step 404, and the alternate verification agent forthe television program is instructed to contact participants at thealternate number, in the step 406. In some embodiments, the alternatenumber is called only after a primary number fails. In some embodiments,the alternate number is called instead of the user's cell phone number.

Service Disconnection to Allow for Phone Verification

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method of disconnecting a service toallow for phone verification. For a large subset of mobile phones, thereason they are unable to receive phone calls while an application isrunning is because the application is maintaining a data connection. Bydisconnecting a user's data connection, they will be able to receiveincoming calls. The implementation described herein provides the abilityto disconnect the data connection of the application that is runningOnce it is determined which users to disconnect, in the step 500, theimplementation sends a message to the appropriate phones instructing theapplication to terminate its data connection, in the step 502. In someembodiments, the data connection is terminated in another manner.Through this process, in some embodiments, users are able to be providedwith an explanation as to why their connection is being terminated, inthe step 504. The result is to be able to keep the user in theapplication, albeit without an active data connection, or to instructthe application to exit altogether. There are several options fordetermining which users to disconnect.

The implementation logs each entry submitted by the user. Once thewinning selection (e.g. case number four) has been identified, all usersare able to be disconnected who made that selection. A problem with thisimplementation is that a rather large subset of the users utilizing theapplication might be affected. For example, if the SMS-TV program asksfor a user to respond to one of four options, an even distribution ofresponses results in 25% of the user base being disconnected.

In order to reduce the number of users affected by the data connectiontermination, it is optimal to only disconnect the potential winner(s) ofthe program. Whatever person or entity is in charge of the winnernotification process is in the best position to do so. Once the user isidentified, the implementation permits a third part to notify a serverto terminate the connection or they are able to do it themselves througha secure interface to the server. The implementation is predicated onthe use of tags in order to identify the user as having used anapplication with the implementation to participate. The tag is able tobe in the form of a user name or some other unique identifier added bythe mobile application. For example, if a user generated a user name fortheir account, the application is able to append the message with thatinformation. It is important that the unique identifier be generatedfrom the application or the server to which the application couplesbecause the application is administered securely and without user error.Depending on the winner notification requirements, potential winners areable to be disconnected one at a time (as they are called one by onefrom the list of potential winners) or as part of a larger group (e.g.the top ten potential winners). In either case, the connectiontermination message takes place as described above.

User Identification Tags

Each SMS message is able to be tagged with a unique identifier such as auser name or handle that the user provided previously. For example, agame service asks users to have a community membership name that is usedto identify them on leader-boards. While a mobile phone number is aunique identifier, it is possible that a user has not provided theservice provider with the correct number. Therefore, the applicationwill tag the SMS with a different identifier.

In-Application Verification

Potential winners are able to be contacted from within the application.The same questions asked over the phone are able to be asked in a seriesof two-way communications with the potential winner, all through theapplication. Similar to how the implementation presents SMS-TV questionson the screen, winner verification questions are able to be presentedand the answers are able to be tracked. For example, a user is able tobe asked of their age or state of residence, or whatever otherverification questions are necessary to determine eligibility. Eachquestion is able to be asked one at a time with the appropriate answerentry method (e.g. multiple choice, free form text or drop down menu).The process does not require any phone call for verification purposes tobe made, and is able to be managed by a verification agent or through anautomated script. The agent is able to submit the questions to the userand based on the responses either continue with the user or move to thenext user. The messages are sent by our server to the mobile handset viathe data connection. The agent uses an interface or tool that allowsthem to select the user with whom to communicate and a method to select,send, receive and monitor messages. The process is able to take placeautomatically through generation of script that sends the questions andanalyzes the responses on behalf of the agent. In both cases, based onthe responses, the process continues until an eligible winner is found.

The in-application method described above is able to take place atvarious times. The implementation allows users to respond to eligibilityquestions before submitting an entry. Users who do not qualify are notallowed to participate. Users are able to be screened immediately aftermaking their submission. If users are found to be ineligible, they areable to be removed from the potential pool of respondents before theSMS-TV program provider selects the winner. In this case, all members ofthe pool are eligible. Users are also able to be screened in real-timeas described above.

Sending SMS-TV Entries on Behalf of Users Who have Phones that do notAllow them to do so

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method of sending SMS-TV entries onbehalf of users. The improved implementation allows users to send SMSmessages from an application, even if that capability is not supportedon that device. Once the user indicates his response to the SMS-TVprogram, the information is transmitted from the device to the servervia the active data connection, in the step 600. The server processesthe information and sends an SMS message on behalf of the user, in thestep 602. In some embodiments, the SMS message is sent to a server forutilizing the response as desired, such as determining if the responseis correct. In some embodiments, the SMS message is sent to a host ofthe TV program. In some embodiments, the SMS message is tagged with aunique identifier for security purposes, in the step 604. When an SMSmessage is sent from a mobile phone, the message includes the user'sphone number, which is a unique identifier for the receiver. If themessage is coming from the server, however, the message is tagged with aunique identifier that differs from the user's phone number in order tonotify the SMS-TV program manager that the message was sent by theserver and not the user's phone number. This is important for billingand security purposes.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computing device 700configured to implement the improved method of participating in anSMS-TV contest. The computing device 700 is able to be used to receiveand send information related to an SMS-TV contest. For example, thecomputing device 700 receives a question regarding a television show anda user is able to select and send a response to that question. Ingeneral, a hardware structure suitable for implementing the computingdevice 700 includes a network interface 702, a memory 704, a processor706, I/O device(s) 708, a bus 710 and a storage device 712. The choiceof processor is not critical as long as a suitable processor withsufficient speed is chosen. The memory 704 is able to be anyconventional computer memory known in the art. The storage device 712 isable to include a hard drive, CDROM, CDRW, DVD, DVDRW, flash memory cardor any other storage device. The computing device 700 is able to includeone or more network interfaces 702. An example of a network interfaceincludes a network card connected to an Ethernet or other type of LAN.The I/O device(s) 708 are able to include one or more of the following:keyboard, mouse, monitor, display, printer, modem, touchscreen, buttoninterface and other devices. Improved SMS-TV application(s) 730 used toperform the method of participating in an SMS-TV contest are likely tobe stored in the storage device 712 and memory 704 and processed asapplications are typically processed. More or less components shown inFIG. 7 are able to be included in the computing device 700. In someembodiments, improved SMS-TV contest hardware 720 is included. Althoughthe computing device 700 in FIG. 7 includes applications 730 andhardware 720 for improved SMS-TV gaming, the improved method ofparticipating in an SMS-TV contest is able to be implemented on acomputing device in hardware, firmware, software or any combinationthereof.

In some embodiments, the improved SMS-TV application(s) 730 includeseveral applications and/or modules. In some embodiments, the improvedSMS-TV application(s) 730 include an improved user experience module732, an in-application promotion module 734, a history of SMS-TVprograms module 736, winner notification module 738 and an SMS-TV entrymodule 740. Additional or fewer modules are able to be included.Furthermore, depending on the device and its intended operation, adevice is able to include some of the modules and not others. Forexample, in some embodiments, a server contains the winner notificationmodule 738 to be able to appropriately contact winners of a contest, butthe server does not contain the improved user experience module 732.

The improved user experience module 732 provides a better userexperience by eliminating the need for a user to recall the SMS shortcode, eliminating the need for a user to recall keywords and reducingthe number of keystrokes a user makes. The improved user experiencemodule 732 includes an easy-to-use user interface which includesselections available in list or icon form. The improved user experiencemodule 732 stores short code information and the capabilities ofverifying and changing the short code when desired, as described above.The in-application promotion module 734 enables promoting an SMS-TVprogram from within the application in the case where a user is notwatching television. The history of SMS-TV programs module 736 storesand presenting a list of SMS-TV programs so that users are able toreview programs they might have missed seeing on television. The historyof SMS-TV programs module 736 also tracks which SMS-TV programs areactive and upcoming deadlines, as well as, producing the results in auser-friendly format. The winner notification module 738 provides waysof notifying a winner beyond merely calling the user's cell phonenumber. The winner notification module 738 includes an implementation toreceive an alternate phone number that is to be called for notification.User identification tags are able to be included with each SMS messageto help authenticate a user. The winner notification module 738 alsoincludes service disconnection capabilities to allow for phoneverification. The winner notification module 738 also includesin-application verification to verify winners through their mobiledevice. The SMS-TV entry module 740 enables users who do not have SMScapability to send SMS messages with assistance by a server. The SMS-TVentry module 740 communicates with the server and the server sends theSMS message on behalf of the contacting mobile device. The modulesstored on the computing device 700 have corresponding counterpartsstored on a server which provide the necessary information and updates.

Examples of suitable computing devices include a personal computer, alaptop computer, a computer workstation, a server, a mainframe computer,a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular/mobiletelephone, a smart appliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, adigital camcorder, a camera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVDwriter/player, a television, a home entertainment system or any othersuitable computing device.

FIG. 8 illustrates a graphical representation of a network of devices800. A network 802 for allowing communication between devices includeseither the Internet, a cellular network, other networks or anycombination of networks. As described, devices that couple to thenetwork to implement the improved method of participating in an SMS-TVgame are able to be a variety of devices such as cellular phones 804,laptop computers 806, personal computers 808 and PDAs 810. In someembodiments, one or more servers are used to communicate with thedevices. For example, in some embodiments, a content server 820 and anadministrative server 830 are coupled with the network 802. The contentserver 820 includes information such as questions and answers related toa television program. In some embodiments, the content server 820includes applications 822 to communicate the information to the deviceswithin the network. In some embodiments, the administrative server 830includes information 832 such as applications or updates which aredownloadable to the devices. In some embodiments, the administrativeserver 830 also includes applications to verify users, SMS short codes,applications to communicate SMS messages on behalf of a device andperform other operations described above. In some embodiments, a singleserver is able to perform the tasks of the content server and theadministrative server. Additionally, other servers and devices are ableto be included in the network of devices 800 as desired or as necessary.

To utilize the improved method of and system for participating in SMS-TVcontests, a user acquires necessary application(s) which enable theimproved performance. The applications are able to be pre-installed on adevice, downloaded or acquired in another manner. The user then utilizesthe applications to perform desired operations such as using the userinterface to efficiently make selections to respond to a question in acontest, downloading SMS short codes, promoting contests within theapplication, accessing a history of SMS-TV programs, submitting analternate phone number, utilizing user identification tags,verification, contacting a server to send an SMS message on the device'sbehalf and other operations. On the server side, a host or other entityutilizes applications to perform desired operations as well such aspromoting contests within the application, storing a history of SMS-TVprograms, enabling an alternate phone number to be submitted, utilizinguser identification tags, disconnecting the application to receive anincoming call, verification, sending an SMS message on the device'sbehalf and other operations. Some of the aforementioned operations areperformed by the user specifically while others are automaticallyperformed to provide the user with the best service possible.

In operation, the improved method of and system for participating inSMS-TV contests provides significant benefits which allow users tobetter enjoy such contests. SMS messaging has become a popular way fortelevision viewers to interact with their favorite TV programs. Whileseveral companies allow the exchange of SMS messages while running aJava application or from within a WAP based application or browser,between TV viewers, the use of SMS in playing along with game showtelecasts in promoted events like voting or sweepstakes events to datehave been done on freestanding basis outside game specific applications,such as those referred to in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/495,853, filed Jul. 27, 2006 and entitled, “A LIVE TELEVISION SHOWUTILIZING REAL TIME INPUT FROM THE VIEWING AUDIENCE,” which isincorporated by reference herein. As described above, the improvedmethod of participating in SMS-TV contests provides methodologies forcontrolling SMS capabilities for viewers and TV programmers andutilizing the richer and more sophisticated game experience enabled bythe improved applications.

In some embodiments, the improved implementation described herein isable to be incorporated within another application such as a play alongTV application. For example, an application for playing along with atelevision program allows users to make several predictions about theprogram while watching the program on television. By incorporating theSMS-TV functionality, the play along TV application is able to providean improved user experience for a user to participate in the SMS-TVprogram or contest. As described above, other capabilities are able tobe included as well such as providing an alternate phone number,disconnecting the play along TV application to allow the user to receivea winner's notification phone call, receiving a notification inside theapplication that the user has won a contest and so on. By including theSMS-TV capabilities of the improved implementation, play along TVapplications are able to support both their own interactive experiencealong with the SMS-TV program/contest without requiring the user to exitthe application, and at the same time also improving the user interfaceand overall user experience.

Additional examples of applications the improved implementation is ableto be incorporated with are any of the applications described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/166,596, filed Jun. 24, 2005 andentitled, “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED GAMING OVER A MOBILEDEVICE,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/167,025, filed Jun. 24,2005 and entitled, “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED GAMING OVER AMOBILE DEVICE,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/298,901, andentitled, “A GAME OF SKILL PLAYED BY REMOTE PARTICIPANTS UTILIZINGWIRELESS DEVICES IN CONNECTION WITH A COMMON GAME EVENT,” U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/495,853, filed Jul. 27, 2006 and entitled, “ALIVE TELEVISION SHOW UTILIZING REAL TIME INPUT FROM THE VIEWINGAUDIENCE” or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/542,335, filed on Oct.2, 2006 and entitled, “CELLULAR PHONE GAMES BASED UPON TELEVISIONARCHIVES” which are all incorporated by reference herein. The improvedimplementation described herein is able to be incorporated within otherapplications as well.

The present invention has been described in terms of specificembodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding ofprinciples of construction and operation of the invention. Suchreference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is notintended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will bereadily apparent to one skilled in the art that other variousmodifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustrationwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method implemented on a computing device of providing an improved user experience when participating in a game, contest or entertainment event, comprising: a. implementing an application containing a user interface; b. presenting content related to the game, contest or entertainment event, to a user with the application through the user interface; and c. enabling the user to submit a data message response to the game, contest or entertainment event, through interacting with the user interface of the application, wherein the application submits the data message using an data message short code which is updatable and stored as an application accessible resource.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes at least one of a list or a set of icons.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein a user submits a response by highlighting and selecting a choice from the list or the set of icons.
 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a history of game, contest or entertainment event programs wherein the history of game, contest or entertainment event programs enables a user to review missed programs.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying a winner of the game, contest or entertainment event.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein notifying the winner comprises contacting an alternate phone number that is different than the number from which the data message was sent, and further wherein the alternate phone number is embedded in an SMS message.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising disconnecting a data connection of the application to allow incoming calls.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein disconnecting a data connection comprises: a. determining which applications to disconnect; b. sending a message to the applications to terminate the data connection; and c. providing an explanation to users of the disconnected applications.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining which applications to disconnect comprises disconnecting applications of the users who made a correct selection.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein determining which applications to disconnect comprises disconnecting applications of the users who are potential winners.
 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising verifying qualifications of the winner through the application.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein verifying qualifications occurs before the game, contest or entertainment event, begins.
 13. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a data message on behalf of a user utilizing the application and a server.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the data message is tagged with a unique identifier indicating that the data message did not come directly from the computing device.
 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computer workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smart appliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, a camera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, a television and a home entertainment system.
 16. A system implemented on a computing device for providing an improved user experience when participating in a game, contest or entertainment event, comprising: a. a server; and b. a device coupled to the server, the device containing an application configured for: i. implementing a user interface; ii. presenting content related to the game, contest or entertainment event, to a user with the application through the user interface; and iii. enabling the user to submit a data message response to the game, contest or entertainment event through interacting with the user interface of the application, wherein the application submits the data message using a data message short code which is updatable and stored as an application accessible resource.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the user interface includes at least one of a list or a set of icons.
 18. The system of claim 17 wherein a user submits a response by highlighting and selecting a choice from the list or the set of icons.
 19. The system of claim 16 wherein the application is further configured for storing a history of game, contest or entertainment event programs wherein the history of game, contest or entertainment event programs enables a user to review missed programs.
 20. The system of claim 16 further comprising notifying a winner of the game, contest or entertainment event.
 21. The system of claim 20 wherein notifying the winner comprises contacting an alternate phone number that is different than the number from which the data message was sent, and further wherein the alternate phone number is embedded in an SMS message.
 22. The system of claim 16 wherein the application is further configured for disconnecting a data connection of the application to allow incoming calls.
 23. The system of claim 22 wherein disconnecting a data connection comprises: a. determining which applications to disconnect; b. sending a message to the applications to terminate the data connection; and c. providing an explanation to users of the disconnected applications.
 24. The system of claim 23 wherein determining which applications to disconnect comprises disconnecting applications of the users who made a correct selection.
 25. The system of claim 23 wherein determining which applications to disconnect comprises disconnecting applications of the users who are potential winners.
 26. The system of claim 16 wherein the application is further configured for verifying qualifications of the winner.
 27. The system of claim 26 wherein verifying qualifications occurs before the contest begins.
 28. The system of claim 16 wherein the application is further configured for sending a data message on behalf of a user utilizing a server.
 29. The system of claim 28 wherein the data message is tagged with a unique identifier indicating that the data message did not come directly from the computing device.
 30. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computer workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smart appliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, a camera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, a television and a home entertainment system.
 31. A system implemented on a computing device, the system comprising: a. a memory for storing an application, the application comprising: i. a user interface for presenting content related to a game, contest or entertainment event to a user and enabling the user to submit a data message response to the game, contest or entertainment event, wherein the application submits the data message using a data message using a data message short code which is updatable and stored as an application accessible resource and for presenting a list of television programs that have been previously aired on television; and d. a processor for processing the application.
 32. The system of claim 31 further comprising a data message entry module, the data message entry module configured for communicating with a server to send a data message.
 33. The system of claim 31 wherein the application further comprises notifying a winner of the game, contest or entertainment event and disconnecting a data connection of the application to allow incoming calls.
 34. The system of claim 33 wherein the application further comprises for verifying qualifications of the winner.
 35. The system of claim 31 wherein the computing device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computer workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smart appliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, a camera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, a television and a home entertainment system.
 36. A device comprising: a. a memory for storing an application, the application configured for: i. implementing a user interface; ii. presenting content related to a game, contest or entertainment event, to a user with the application through the user interface; and iii. enabling the user to submit a data message response to the game, contest or entertainment event through interacting with the user interface of the application, wherein the application submits the data message using a data message short code which is updatable and stored as an application accessible resource; and b. a processing component coupled to the memory, the processing component configured for processing the application.
 37. The device of claim 36 wherein the user interface includes at least one of a list or a set of icons.
 38. The device of claim 37 wherein a user submits a response by highlighting and selecting a choice from the list or the set of icons.
 39. The device of claim 36 wherein the application is further configured for notifying a winner of the game, contest or entertainment event.
 40. The device of claim 39 wherein notifying the winner comprises verifying qualifications of the winner.
 41. The device of claim 36 wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a computer workstation, a server, a mainframe computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular/mobile telephone, a smart appliance, a gaming console, a digital camera, a digital camcorder, a camera phone, an iPod®, a video player, a DVD writer/player, a television and a home entertainment system.
 42. A server device comprising: a. a memory for storing an application, the application configured for: i. presenting content related to games, contests or entertainment events, through a user-side application; ii. storing a list of game, contest or entertainment event programs to be presented on a user device; and iii. receiving a data message response from the user-side application, wherein the application submits the data message using a data message short code which is updatable and stored as an application accessible resource; and b. a processing component coupled to the memory, the processing component configured for processing the application.
 43. The server device of claim 42 further comprising notifying a winner of the game, contest or entertainment event.
 44. The server device of claim 43 wherein notifying a winner comprises disconnecting the user-side application so that the user device is able receive an incoming call.
 45. The server device of claim 42 wherein the application is further configured for verifying user credentials.
 46. The server device of claim 42 wherein the application is further configured for sending a data message on the user device's behalf.
 47. A network of devices comprising: a. at least one server; b. a plurality of mobile devices, each of the plurality of mobile devices containing an application configured for: i. implementing a user interface; ii. presenting content related to a game, contest or entertainment event to a user with the application through the user interface; and iii. enabling the user to submit a data message response to the game, contest or entertainment event, through interacting with the user interface of the application, wherein the application submits the data message using a data message short code which is updatable and stored as an application accessible resource; and c. a network for coupling the at least one server and the plurality of mobile devices. 